Artists Unchained: Home
Ezekiel 25:17. The path of the righteous man is beset on all sides by the inequities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men. Blessed is he who, in the name of charity and good will, shepherds the weak through the valley of the darkness. For he is truly his brother's keeper and the finder of lost children.
(Samuel L Jackson 
)
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What this is all about
This is a resource site for independent artists wishing to distribute their art via the web. The aim is to promote Magnet Links, P2P technology, and Creative Commons licences, as the best way to do this. To distribute art via the web in a way that leverages the power of these technologies to the artist's advantage while optimising web traffic. It also works with their fans in a mutually cooperative way to harness grassroots support, displace costs, and ensure freedom of speech and resist censorship.
P2P networks have proved to be a phenomenal distribution system and seems a good place to start as the foundation of web base distribution system. But how to harness it for the benefit of the artist and fan alike?
While there are many benefits from P2P, like the costs of storage of media and bandwidth burden is transferred to the fan (not too much of a problem as they would store it anyway and bandwidth upload speed is often going begging), there are problems with searches of the network that turn up much spam, broken and inferior files and illegally distributed content. This is where the magic of Magnet Links comes into play.
Magnet Links look like normal hyperlinks on an artists web page, but when clicked they initiate a P2P download! The file to be downloaded is detailed in the Magnet Link with a unique identifier (URI). This allows the artist to offer the file on their website, and know that a visiting fan is guaranteed a kosher file. This makes the search function in P2P software moot. To see this all in action, try it out for yourself and click this below;
Magnet Download of Shareaza 2.5.3
The above link is a magnet link and will launch your P2P program to start the download of Shareaza 2.4.
If you do not have P2P software installed you'll get the "magnet is not a registered protocol" error in windows, and an error in other OS too. To correct the situation click the big 'S' icon at the top of this page to go to the Shareaza home page where you can find a regular download.
The Magnet Link was the missing piece of the puzzle, and once we knew about it (and combined with 'copyleft' Creative Commons licences) lead to thoughts of a practical and fair distribution system where artists are free of harsh contracts and retained their copyright for their lifetime. The system that developed from these thoughts is the AUS (Artists Unchained System) and is a prototype model of digital art distribution.
The AUS is based on mutual respect and those artists who choose to distribute via the AUS do so in a fully legal and productive way. Fans who support the artists using the AUS are also working in a fully legal way.
This site covers the AUS in detail, walking you through ever step of the way, so even if you are a complete net novice you can still use the AUS! The website is devided into the following sections: Overview, Artists, Fans, Scenarios, Blog, Community and Donate.
Quick Heads up for the computer savvy
The AUS uses social networking sites, magnet links, P2P, zip files and online payment systems in that order. If you are Tech savvy you have probably jumped ahead and worked out how it all fits together, but just in case;
- The magnet links on the artist's website ensure the correct file is downloaded via the P2P network. This eliminates spam, virus, trojans and incorrectly names files from being downloaded.
- The AUS is a mutual affair, and fans can support their favourite artist by hosting the artist's files in their P2P application for sharing. This sharing increases download speed and ensures the file is always available. Fans will be encouraged to host entire libraries of their favourite (participating) artists. This 'hosting' is part of a mutual exchange between artist and fan.
- In concert with the hosting, fans have the option to further support artists via direct donations after they have enjoyed the artwork (this is similar in principle to busking).
In essence: the fans provide the artist with a powerful distribution and storage system in exchange or the rights to use the artwork they are hosting.
Artists
If you are an artist this is your second port of call. This sections covers the practical side of setting up the AUS set by step. It details what you are going to need, how it all fits together, how to promote your wares using the internet and copyright licensing.
The primary objective is to get you up and running by spending no money and using existing services that are already freely available. It includes AUS templates along with AUS packaging standards to make it easy for your fans to obtain your art. All AUS material is supplied free of charge and is itself distributed via the AUS!
Once you are up and running it builds upon your success and name recognition and delves into arcane net sorcery like securing domain names, setting up web hosts and covering software to build websites.
Fans
If you are a fan of an artist and you arrived here via a link on their site, this section will tell you everything you need to know about the AUS and how it all works from a fan's perspective.
It walks you through the AUS and shows you how to support your favourite artist. Whether by hosting the artists files in your P2P client thus boosting availability, or donating funds direct to the artist safe in the knowledge that no middlemen are taking an extortionate cut or exploiting the creator of what you love. It also deals with copyright, what you can do with the media legally, and how you can produce hard copies for your friends and family!
Scenarios
This section is for both artists and fans and runs through scenarios of how the AUS can help promote and distribute art and media. It deals with each art field in turn from musicians to game companies, and how their can nature the of fan's support and exploit the P2P phenomena to drive their business forward in the 21st century.
Blog
This is the Artists Unchained Blog, and included posts on ideas and concepts, design notes on the system, and general waffle on all things relevant (and not so relevant). You are welcome to leave comments.
Community
[Closed until end of Beta] Here you can exchange information with other supporters of the AUS, and where artists post links to promote their sites and chat to fans, and fans can post links to other fan forums thus the AUS forum is the hub of the AUS community. It is devided into many sections to cover many spheres of artistic endeavour.
The forums are based on 'cliques' and the only way in is via an invite. Those within a clique are responsible for each other, and if one gets banned all those in the clique are banned along with them. The idea is to foster a community of fans, true fans who care about art with a passion, and yet a friendly atmosphere where artists feel welcome.
Donate
This is your chance to support the AUS and the Artists Unchained via direct patronage. There is no obligation to do so, you are free to use this site, AUS materials etc without charge, and if you do not have the funds to contribute (which is understandable in this economic climate), you can still support the AUS by hosting template files. All donations are greatly appreciated, and allow us to get very drunk, muse on the nature of universe, and come up with ideas like the AUS! After all this system is created by artists, for artists and fans to enjoy, so we do tend to act like, well, artists! All this thinking and designing is thirsty work... 
Cheers!
RSS Update Feed
This RSS feed (orange button on the main menu) allows you to subscribe to the news feed and keep abreast of the latest developments and updates related to Artists Unchained. To subscribe, simply click the RSS button (or the link to the right below) and your browser will open an RSS feed page with the option to subscribe. Once subscribed there will be a special bookmark in your browser, which updates with the feed. Click on it and it will provide links to all the latest updates. It a convenient way to check the site for changes with the minimum of fuss.
Design notes of the System
This runs you through the overall principles or the AUS, and links into other sections of the website that focuses on the specifics. It is the main index of the system, and the quickest way to locate the information you need. It also includes a Google search function for your convenience
Combining Systems
AUS is an experimental 'system of systems', which links together many currently used technologies and arranges them into a new business model. There is nothing new here, no flash new technology, this is all about organisation.
Core component systems of the AUS are: social network services (You Tube, MySpace Facebook etc.), artist's web sites (Google Page Creator, Open Office, etc.), magnet links, P2P (Shareaza, Limewire, etc.), Copyleft Licences (Creative Commons, etc.), E-Payment Providers (Pay Pal, Google Checkout, etc), Print on Demand services (Lulu, Cafepress etc), zip files (7zip, etc) and whatever technology you need to digitised your art and pack it into a zip file.
All these links go to wikipedia.
Details of distribution system proposed (system example)
This is an overview of the whole system, the combination of the Artist and Fan sections. This is the bigger picture of the AUS.
- The artist's web site includes a download page with Magnet Links (or magnets, metalinks, ed2k, and torrents)
- Clicking the magnet link launches the fan's P2P software, and locates the zip file on the P2P network that matches the magnet link.
- Zip files may contain more than one file, so artists can include a whole collection. For example: A movie could come with a printable cover and PDF info booklet.
- The file is distributed under a 'creative commons licence'. The creative commons have a range of 'copyleft' licences for all areas of the world (this may be modified and re-christened the AUL).
- All files distributed using the AUS under this licence via P2P are wrapped up in a zip file. Once downloaded these are unzipped into the fan's chosen media folder.
- Important: The fan does not delete the original zip file and instead leaves it in their P2P's share folder, becoming another source of download and speeding up distribution. A fan doing this is said to be 'hosting' the original zip file.
- Mutual Exchange Clause (MEC): Fans 'hosting' the original zip files are said to be providing a service, a service which is used to 'rent' for the licence of the media contained in the zip files.
- If the fan enjoyed the artists work they can return to the artist's web site (or myspace/ facebook) and [donate] money directly to the artist via an E-Payment Provider [donation] i.e. paypal on Facebook
- The artist's site includes links to POD (Print on Demand) services such as Lulu where a fan can order up a hard copy (whether CD, DVD or book. Have a look at what is on offer here), and merchandise via companies like Cafepress (all customised by the artist). This also allows those with slow connects (non-broadband) to obtain a copy of the artwork.
Important points: Copyright is maintained by the artist. No middle men. Rapid dissemination of files throughout the net. 'Advertising' is by word or mouth, support is grass roots. Money is given for art people really enjoy, and not paid up front on the hope it will be to your liking. Artists come recommended by your friends.
Passing the Buck: As all downloads are initiated from a website, it means a new open source P2P client could be made that has no search function. This means it is impossible to search a P2P network using this striped down client. If the RIAA wants to sue anyone is would have to be the website (seeing as they are the ones abusing the system).
Artist Names: Those who use the AUS are referred to as: [proposed] 'Aussies' has turned up (derived from 'AUS'), but that is going to be as confusing as hell! Perhaps Ausers (AUSers, also a play on 'A User')
Collaboration
P2P software also offers private networks. This allows artists to securely share files with their inner circle via P2P without releasing it to the public. Allowing artists to collaborate globally and share huge files. Most importantly as the artwork is not sent of to big business for manufacture and distribution the chances of a leak are... zero. It only makes it into the public P2P if the artist chooses to release it via links of their site.
Abiding by the law
This site is not going to be a torrent download site or host any media files. It will concentrate on designing a workable system, figuring out the standards needed to pull it off, providing artists and fans with information on how to implement it, and gathering feedback and donations.
* There will be a sister site on google pages or some other free hosting site, but this artistsunchained.org site will remain as it can't be shut down on a whim. It is paid for and as long as it is fully legal and non-abusive, can't be closed down that easily. This site will cover the basics and point to related content on free sites and articles by others that may be of interest.
Legal: This site is not a secret pirate haven full of stolen digital booty, it is instead and open and honest site showing artists how to distribute their wares via P2P and enable fans to identify files on P2P networks that are being distributed legally via the methods proposed on this site.
Similar initiatives
If anyone out there is running a similar initiative to this one, with the same aims, we would love to hear from you.
NOTICE
Notice: Only artists with full copyright control of their art can use the AUS legally.
Artists Unchained does not condone copyright infringement.
Please check the artist's official site to see if they are using the AUS, and only use their official magnet links to initiate P2P downloads.
DO NOT directly search a P2P network for a file as there is a high probability the file you obtain will not be the fully legal, official and of the correct specification. Increasingly virus and trojan writers are putting fake files on P2P networks, as are spammers and assholes who think it is funny to put fake files and inappropriately rename files on P2P networks. Use of the P2P search function within the software is not recommended and is at your own risk.
Contact
For any reason: email:(
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Notes
PS: For all you conspiracy nuts: A few anagrams of this site's name are 'Anarchists United', 'Anarchists Untied', 'Haciendas Intrust ' and perhaps my favourite is 'Rancid Enthusiast'... no wait 'Darn Enthusiastic' :P
Note on Ezekiel 25:17: All the artists and fans are 'shepherds' for the rest of humanity
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